Meet Bagel, a.k.a ‘Sunglass Cat’, who became a social media sensation because of an eye condition that requires her to wear sunglasses at all times. Her shades are decorated with stick-on jewels, giving her a cool vibe that has earned her a reputation as one of the internet’s coolest cats.

The Los Angeles feline was born without eyelids and her eyes are unable to produce tears. She was rescued from a shelter by Karen McGill when she was a two-month-old underweight kitten. Karen had to nurse her back to health, feeding her by hand every thirty minutes. Later, Bagel got three surgeries for her eye condition, and Karen still needs to apply drops to her eyes several times a day.

To protect Bagel’s sensitive eyes from harsh sunlight and dust, Karen came up with the idea of putting shades on her all the time. Over time, Bagel has come to associate her glasses as a means of comfort and protection. Without shades, her eyes are at a constant risk of being damaged due to cornea damage. Karen removes the jewel-lined glasses from time to time so Bagel can wash her eyes, but the keeps them on at all times in public. The cat also has allergies and cannot regulate her body temperature, which is why she is seen wearing clothes in a few photographs.

Photo: YouTube video caption

The accessories have actually worked in Bagel’s favor – she appears totally chilled out in a variety of extremely adorable poses. This has earned the friendly feline a lot of attention both online and in the real world. Nearly 30,000 people currently follow her Instagram account, and she made it to the top five finalists in an Animal Planet contest for the next cat star. Karen also gets requests for personal appearances.

Photo: Bagel the Sunglasses Cat/Instagram

It appears that Bagel, aged two, is quite deserving of all the admiration being thrown her way. Karen, who rescued her from a shelter when she was just a kitten, has only the best things to say about her. “Bagel is the most loving, gentle, calmest, and kindest cat that you’ll ever meet,” she said. “People are always amazed at how calm she is. Everyone always wants to touch her as well as hold her. They want to stop and talk to me about her sunglasses, which I always do since it’s so rare to see a cat in glasses, and I tell them why she’s wearing them as well as her condition.”

Photo: Bagel the Sunglasses Cat/Instagram

Karen is also glad that Bagel’s Instagram is able to help bring smiles to thousands of people around the world. “As long as I can put a smile on someone’s face, make them have a better day, look at life differently because of our posts, then her Instagram account is successful,” she said. She also hopes that Bagel’s popularity will inspire more people to adopt and care for animals with special needs. “Animals deserve to be happy in a loving home,” she said. “If I didn’t adopt Bagel she probably would have been returned and euthanized due to her special needs.”

“I couldn’t fathom Bagel not being there,” Karen added. “She has touched so many people as well as helped numerous people through situations in their lives. Please don’t turn your head on a special needs cat. I don’t care if they have one leg or three legs or are blind, they need love too.”